UN team finds ‘death zone’ in Gaza’s Shifa Hospital

A joint UN humanitarian assessment team led by the World Health Organization described Gaza’s Shifa Hospital as a “death zone” when it was granted entry to verify Israel’s claims that the hospital was being used as a base to receive patients. Hamas armed movement.

The Israeli army said last week that its forces were carrying out an operation inside Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in Gaza. Israel published a video clip of what appears to be weapons and military capabilities inside the hospital, claiming that it is evidence that Hamas is operating inside the hospital.

The World Health Organization said Sent a joint team With the United Nations to the hospital on Saturday “to assess the situation on the ground, conduct a rapid analysis of the situation, assess medical priorities and identify logistical options for further missions.” The team, which spent an hour inside the hospital, described the hospital as a “death zone” and the situation as “desperate.”

The UN and WHO team said they saw a mass grave with more than 80 people buried there in the hospital.

“Shortages of clean water, fuel, medicines, food and other essential assistance over the past six weeks have meant that Al-Shifa Hospital – previously the largest, most advanced and best-equipped referral hospital in Gaza – has essentially ceased to function as a medical facility,” the World Health Organization said in a statement. Journalist. “The team noted that due to the security situation, it was impossible for staff to carry out effective waste management in the hospital.”

The World Health Organization said that there are 24 health workers and 291 patients in the hospital, including 32 children in critical condition, two people in intensive care without ventilation, and 22 patients undergoing dialysis, and their treatment is at “extreme risk.” She indicated that the hospital was no longer operating and that there had been a number of deaths among patients during the past two or three days.